About the Book

Dame Heraldry (Boston, 1886) teaches the whole grammar of coats of arms — crests, charges, tinctures, mottoes — as a series of fireside stories told to 'a lively American group of boys and girls.'

The author, identified only as F. S. W., wrote for republican children fascinated by the pageantry of the Old World, and the book is full of crusader legends, tournament lore and the true stories behind famous arms.

The original line engravings of shields and crests appear throughout the site.

This site reproduces the complete text of the original 1886 edition, digitized page by page from the original printing. The book is in the public domain.